5th Grade Author Visit: Michael Dahl

Just in time for Halloween, the 5th grade was visited by author Michael Dahl on October 26th to talk about his new series Hocus Pocus Hotel. Michael gave us all a fun-filled presentation where he explained to us some of his inspirations (Agatha Christie) and explored some classic unexplainable mysteries (The Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot) along with some more contemporary ones (Justin Beiber). The 5th grade was thoroughly charmed, and I already know that Hocus Pocus Hotel is never going to get a chance to rest on the library shelves between check-outs. We hope Michael will come and visit us again next time he is in town!

 

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Looking for a New Relationship? Try a Classic.

Over the summer, our rising eighth graders choose from a list of selected classics to read at the beach or while at camp. In the past we had the students do booktalks, but last year we changed it up and had the students write “single’s ads” for their dusty old classics who wanted to attract new readers. While there was some initial confusion over what a single’s ad was (“Do you mean a Match.com profile?”) they soon got the hang of it using these writing prompts and reading the example I had way too much fun writing for them:

• “My ideal reader/date must love…because…”.
• “A knowledge of/passion for…is a plus.”
• “On our first date, we will…”.
• “My favorite food or type of restaurant is…so you must love eating…”.
• “My favorite song is…because…, or I love listening to…”.
• “My favorite season is…because…”.
• “Usually, on my days off, I like to…”.
• “My favorite hobbies are….”.
• “I’d like to travel with you to…because…”.
• “My favorite movies include…because…”.

Example: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

“Depression-era gentleman seeks eager young reader who enjoys creek water out of a tin cup, seeing greater America from the back of a rusty Model-T, and doesn’t mind a little dust in his or her hair. Must love sunsets over prairies, long soliloquies about turtles, and know how to change a tire. Knowledge of migrant worker laws and rights a plus. Our first date will start with breaking a picket line and end with peach cobbler (made from the peaches we hand pick by moonlight). If you think you are the reader for me, you can find me at your local public library, not too far down on the shelf from Shakespeare.”

This year’s batch is just as creative, funny and provocative as last year’s. Can you guess the book titles from their descriptions? (Answers at the end) Maybe after reading them, you’ll be inspired to make a date with a classic!

1. Greetings scurvy-free landlubbers! If ye be looking for an open sea sailor, look no further. I be a blood-thirsty buccaneer, sailing the seven seas twenty four-seven. My interests include swash bucklin’, treasure hunting, and eating feasts of moldy cheese and dry tasteless biscuits cooked by Long John Silver himself. In my spare time I enjoy community service by helping abandoned maroons on deserted islands. My favorite movies be “Pirates of the Caribbean”, “Treasure Island the Movie”, and “The Muppets on Treasure Island”. “Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall” be me favorite song and me favorite hobbies are sailing, drinking, and fire fights. My favorite season is summer, because it be the best for treasure hunting. It would be a plus if you have a passion for any of these. On our first date we shall go exploring on me boat, the Hispaniola, and we would travel to Skull Island to uncover the buried treasure of Captain Flint.–SL

2. I am a World War II Jewish American girl seeking a new young adult reader. I am from Jenkinsville, Arkansas, which is located in the South. The person I am looking for has to live in South and be open to changes because even though I’m a Jewish American living in the time of the Holocaust I took in a German Solider. My parents aren’t too fond of me because they think I’m ugly and worthless. Don’t be too worried about meeting them because they don’t find any interest in me and they are the last people I would go to if something good happened to me. My mother Perl Bergen fancies my younger sister Sharon because she is prettier and more talented that I. She just hasn’t realized I am a loving and caring person. I am a 12-year-old girl but I am very mature for my age. I am not afraid to take risk because I always have my second “mother” there to support me. My “mothers” name is Ruth and she treats me like her own daughter. I really like Ruth because she shows interest in me. Another person I love to hangout with is my grandma Fried she is so nice and gets me things that I need. If you want to find me you can pass by my parents store and then we can run to my hide out to start a new adventure.–TM

3. I am seeking an ideal date who must love my friends the Cheshire Cat; you will never forget his smile. On our first date, we will have tea, with cucumber sandwiches with the crust cut off and warm sconces with butter and jam. My favorite song is “The Unbirthday Song” I love to listen to it because my mad friends and I always have a brilliant time when we along. Usually, on my days off, I like to eat treats that make me change in size and cry and ocean. My favorite hobbies are playing croquet and talking with my friends the Caterpillar. Hopefully you don’t find the smell of hookah smoke offensive because on our date, well have some. I’d like to travel with you down a rabbit hole to an unusual place where you can go on an adventure and help me defend myself against a queen with a big temper.–SRG

4. Hi! I’m a sweet single novel looking for love while hiding from the Nazis. I would need a nice new reader who doesn’t mind close quarters (our annex can get a really squished) or having to keep quiet. I love a reader who can listen to and appreciate honest conversation (VERY honest), but also has a sense of humor. On our first date we’ll sharing funny descriptions of the other annex residents. Creativity in the kitchen is a plus, because we don’t have much food variety. I must admit, I do have mood swings, but I am usually very kind and smart. I’m crazy about writing in my free time. While the annex life can get slow and quiet, there are lots of scares and excitements that happen all the time, including burglaries and the fear of being found. If you like beautiful, witty, honest books, and aren’t a Nazi, come join us in hiding.–ECO

5. Looking for single Hobbits or dwarfs. My ideal date must love long adventures through mountains to different lands and must love gold. Knowledge of making spells, fighting dragons and killing trolls is a plus. On our first date we will celebrate with the hobbits with the finest ale. We will also watch Gandalf’s exceptionally good fireworks. A little about me: I love listening to the dwarfs sing. My favorite time of year is the spring when all the flowers start to bloom and the weather is perfect. Usually on my days off I like to sit at home, relax and smoke a pipe or go to the tavern. My hobbies include reading fantastic tales, and performing magic. My favorite movie is “Lord of the Rings”. If you are looking for an action-packed quest full of surprises I am the book for you.–AO

6. Post-Cold War era teenager looking for new young readers. She must enjoy all kinds of weather, exploring all the greater parts of New York, and doesn’t mind a little garbage on her clothes. She must also have both an energetic attitude and a slow lethargic attitude, depending on the drug previously ingested, of course. My date must enjoy sampling different substances, and chilling at the house I share with friends. One addition that I’m looking for is a tolerance for a variety of smells because we may end up in sewers or other nasty places. One thing we should get out of the way is I am terrified of the bomb and war. My idea of a first date is a quick swim in the Hudson River, followed by a little prank here and there. Our night would conclude by sitting in the park and looking at the moon while sharing a little grass. You can meet me on the Lower East Side trying to score some LSD or Crystal.–LW

7. My perfect reader knows something about gardening and loves gardens. My fitting date would also be curious because I love being in a new place and trying to find something exciting. I also have a big vocabulary but don’t worry I always translate words you might not understand. On our first date we will have a nice dinner outdoors of course and we will share stories and jokes. I enjoy telling stories about places I’ve been and art I’ve seen. If I could travel anywhere with you I would like to go to India because that’s where I was born. Traveling around England would be good too because the people and the English are known for their. My favorite movie is “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” because he is a sweet boy who came to his parents from their vegetable patch. If you want to meet up just bring your gloves, pruning tools and something you would be ok with getting dirty.–LD

8. Interesting female seeks a very lucky reader who wants to travel through generations of Chinese history and immigration. Must appreciate traditional Asian cooking, stories, games and pushy parents. You should be talented or at least appreciate talent. Do you play the piano? Chess? Are you familiar with the game Mah-jong? If you don’t have any stories to share with The Joy Luck Club, the story-sharing family gathering, you better go out and make up some. No one would want to miss out on this opportunity to share experiences. When you commit yourself to this relationship, you better mean it because a commitment with this book is a commitment for life.–SG

9.Young male artist from Brooklyn in the mid-1900’s looks for a reader who is daring, rebellious and not afraid to follow their heart. Must love the summer time, art, and orange juice. You should also know that I am an observant Jew so knowledge of the Torah is a bonus, as well as knowledge of art galleries and artists in general. Our first date would be painting in the streets of Paris or Florence. I am a deep thinker and it is my greatest dream to travel the world and capture its beauty. I am also rather sensitive and enjoy solitude. Although I don’t seem like much, I can be just as exciting or moving as any book. I’d like to travel with you to Cape Cod and all over Europe because of the magnificent buildings, people and landscapes. I hardly have any spare time. In fact, I am always busy doing one thing or another. If you enjoyed what you heard, you can find me at most libraries under P for Potok.–SS

10. I am an intelligent adventure that is handy with machinery. I have lived in many different places over time, from England in the Nineteenth Century to dark caves where no sunlight exists, and even in beautiful meadows with interesting forms of architecture. Some of my hobbies and interests include: traveling through time, exploring dark caves, and lighting fires. My ideal date is an intelligent person who will fancy my complicated words so we may have many compelling conversations. A passion for darkness and caves is a plus, although if you have a soft innocent side that loves sunlight and company then that is equally desirable. I love large juicy fruits, but occasionally have a strong passion for meat. I hope you will find my British accent attractive and easily understandable. On our first date we will travel through time as I tell you about the development of men and women. If you think you are the reader for me, contact me at any public library under W. Text me in the future–KMM

1. Treasure Island 2. Summer of My German Soldier 3. Alice in Wonderland 4. The Diary of Anne Frank 5. The Hobbit 6. The Basketball Diaries 7. The Secret Garden 8. The Joy Luck Club 9. My Name is Asher Lev 10. The Time Machine

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Banned Books Week 2012

BBW

 

It’s the 30th year anniversary of Banned Books Week! Revel in your freedom to read and learn more about BBW and the history of book banning by exploring the links below.

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Freedom to Read

Banned Books Week celebrates its 30th anniversary

Banned Books Week FAQs

Banned Or Challenged Classic Children’s Books

Thanks, and I’ll see you in the library.

Jen Hubert Swan, Middle School Librarian

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Happy Back to School Books!

september
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It’s September, and that means new friends, new challenges and new (gulp!) teachers as middle school students head back to school. Here’s a list of school-related stories for students getting ready to face the new year.

All of these titles are available in the Sixth Avenue library and are arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name. (CIP) stands for the Library of Congress’ “Cataloging in Publication,” which is where we have borrowed these annotations.

The Red Blazer Girls : the mistaken masterpiece by Michael D. Beil.

Red Blazer Girls Sophie, Margaret, Becca, and Leigh Ann are hired by Father Julian who wants them to authenticate a painting, while Sophie faces off with her arch-rival and takes care of movie-star Nate Etan’s dog.(CIP)

Blubber by Judy Blume.

Jill goes along with the rest of the fifth-grade class in tormenting a classmate and then finds out what it is like when she, too, becomes a target. (CIP)

Falcon Quinn and the black mirror by Jennifer Finney Boylan.

Thirteen-year-old Falcon Quinn and his friends, Max and Megan get on the bus expecting to be taken to school, but they soon find themselves at a place called Shadow Island, a training ground for monsters.(CIP)

Evolution, me, and other freaks of nature by Robin Brande.

Following her conscience leads high school freshman Mena to clash with her parents and former friends from their conservative Christian church, but might result in better things when she stands up for a teacher who refuses to include “Intelligent Design” in lessons on evolution.(CIP)

Ask me no questions by Marina Budhos.

Fourteen-year-old Nadira, her sister, and their parents leave Bangladesh for New York City, but the expiration of their visas and the events of September 11, 2001, bring frustration, sorrow, and terror for the whole family. (CIP)

All-American girl by Meg Cabot.

Sophomore Samantha Madison stops a presidential assassination attempt, is appointed teen ambassador to the United Nations, and catches the eye of the very cute First Son. (CIP)

Cheating lessons : a novel by Nan Willard Cappo.

When her team is announced as finalists in the state Classics Bowl contest, Bernadette suspects that cheating may have been involved. (CIP)

If a tree falls at lunch period by Gennifer Choldenko.

Kirsten and Walk, seventh-graders at an elite private school, describe how race, wealth, weight, and other issues shape their relationships as they and other misfits stand up to a mean but influential classmate.(CIP)

Sing a song of tuna fish : hard-to-swallow stories from fifth grade by Esmé Raji Codell.

Provides fictionalized anecdotes of the author’s childhood as a ten-year old living in Chicago. (CIP)

The chocolate war : a novel by Robert Cormier.

A high school freshman discovers the devastating consequences of refusing to join in the school’s annual fund raising drive and arousing the wrath of the school bullies. (CIP)

Stotan! by Chris Crutcher.

A high school coach invites members of his swimming team to a memorable week of rigorous training that tests their moral fiber as well as their physical stamina. (CIP)

Bloomability by Sharon Creech.

Thirteen-year-old Dinnie finds her world expanding after her aunt and uncle take her from New Mexico to Lugano, Switzerland, to attend an international school. (CIP)

The Cat Ate My Gymsuit by Paula Danziger

When the unconventional English teacher who helped her conquer many of her feelings of insecurity is fired, a junior high student uses her new found courage to campaign for the teacher’s reinstatement. (CIP)

Liar, liar by Barthe DeClements.

Sixth-grader Gretchen and her friends begin to have problems when a new girl starts telling some very believable, but untrue, stories. (CIP)

Francie by Karen English.

When the sixteen-year-old boy whom she tutors in reading is accused of attempting to murder a white man, Francie gets herself in serious trouble for her efforts at friendship. (CIP)

Carlos is gonna get it by Kevin Emerson.

Recounts the events that occur at the end of seventh grade, when a group of friends plan to trick Carlos, an annoying “problem” student who says he is visited by aliens, while they are on a field trip in the mountains of New Hampshire. (CIP)

This is what I did by Ann Dee Ellis.

Bullied because of an incident in his past, eighth-grader Logan is unhappy at his new school and has difficulty relating to others until he meets a quirky girl and a counselor who believe in him. (CIP)

The skin I’m in by Sharon G. Flake.

Thirteen-year-old Maleeka, uncomfortable because her skin is extremely dark, meets a new teacher with a birthmark on her face and makes some discoveries about how to love who she is and what she looks like. (CIP)

I’ll see you in the library,

Jennifer Hubert Swan, Middle School Librarian

YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Winners!

For the past year, I served as chair of the 2012 Young Adult Library Services Association Excellence in Nonfiction Award Committee. I feel like I learned so much about both how to critically evaluate nonficton and manage a committee of people from different libraries, geographic locations and walks of life. It was truly a pleasure and a great deal of fun. In November of 2011, we announced our finalists and in January of 2012, we announced our winner. All of the books are listed below, and are available in the 6th Avenue library for your reading pleasure. Please stop by and check them out, they are all great reads!

benedictWINNER: The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism, & Treachery by Steve Sheinkin

FINALIST: Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom and Science by Marc Aronson & Marina Budhos

FINALIST: Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition by Karen Blumenthal

FINALIST: Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way) by Sue Macy

FINALIST: Music Was IT: Young Leonard Bernstein by Susan Goldman Rubin

Middle School Book Week Author Visits

Once again, it is time for our annual LREI Book Week, where parents and librarians work to place a visiting author in every classroom. Here are the times and dates of the author visits in the middle school.

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5th Grade: Leslie Margolis, author of Girl’s Best Friend: A Maggie Brooklyn Mystery

Tuesday, December 6 12:00-12:30


6th Grade: C. Alexander London, author of We Are Not Eaten by Yaks

Wednesday, December 7 12:30-1


7th Grade: Matt Blackstone, author of A Scary Scene in a  Scary Movie

Thursday, December 8 12:00-12:30


8th Grade: Jesse Karp, author of Those That Wake

AND

Adele Griffin, author of Tighter

Friday, December 9 2:25-3:00

We are so lucky and excited to have such talented folks sharing their writing with us, and can’t wait for each one! All of these author’s titles will also be on sale at our holiday book fair, as well as being available in the library for check out.

5th and 6th Graders Love MARZI!

The 5th and 6th grade were given a special treat during Middle School Meeting on October 26th when the author/illustrator team of the graphic memoir MARZI , along with their American editor Karen Berger from DC Comics, came for a visit. MARZI is based on the author Marzena Sowa’s childhood growing up in Communist Poland during the the 1970’s and 80’s. The book’s illustrator, Sylvain Savoia, is also Marzena’s partner and was the one to encourage her to translate her childhood memories into this exceptional graphic memoir. Think Persepolis, except set in Poland and for a much younger audience. Our middle schoolers were charmed by Marzena and Sylvain, who regaled them with funny stories from the memoir and drew original art for them during the presentation. After reading that Marzi had to make her own gum from window putty, one student couldn’t resist bringing Marzena a pack of chewing gum! We feel so lucky to have gotten the chance to see this wonderful couple in action, as their home is in France and they were only in New York for a short visit. We have two copies of MARZI in the school library available for check-out, so please come by and take a look!

Marzena and Sylvain meeting an ardent young fan, who finished the whole book in one night.

Vertigo Executive Editor Karen Berger, artist Sylvain Savoia, author Marzena Sowa and me! (Middle School Librarian Jennifer Hubert Swan)

Calling All Readers! Lonely Hearts Classics are Looking for a “Date.”

This year, the Eighth Grade Core (English and Social Studies) were looking for a way to punch up the summer reading assignment. Over the summer, our rising eighth graders choose from a list of selected classics. In the past we had the students do booktalks, but that was starting to feel a little stale. When one of the teachers mentioned she’d like the students to present their books using a “speed dating” model, we decided to have the students write “single’s ads” for their dusty old classics who wanted to attract new readers. While there was some initial confusion over what a single’s ad was (“Do you mean a Match.com profile?”) they soon got the hang of it using these writing prompts and reading the example I had way too much fun writing for them:

• “My ideal reader/date must love…because…”.
• “A knowledge of/passion for…is a plus.”
• “On our first date, we will…”.
• “My favorite food or type of restaurant is…so you must love eating…”.
• “My favorite song is…because…, or I love listening to…”.
• “My favorite season is…because…”.
• “Usually, on my days off, I like to…”.
• “My favorite hobbies are….”.
• “I’d like to travel with you to…because…”.
• “My favorite movies include…because…”.

Example: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

“Depression-era gentleman seeks eager young reader who enjoys creek water out of a tin cup, seeing greater America from the back of a rusty Model-T, and doesn’t mind a little dust in his or her hair. Must love sunsets over prairies, long soliloquies about turtles, and know how to change a tire. Knowledge of migrant worker laws and rights a plus. Our first date will start with breaking a picket line and end with peach cobbler (made from the peaches we hand pick by moonlight). If you think you are the reader for me, you can find me at your local public library, not too far down on the shelf from Shakespeare.”

Here are some of the eighth grade’s Lonely Hearts Classics Singles Ads. Can you guess the book titles from their descriptions? (Answers at the end) Maybe after reading them, you’ll be inspired to make a date with a classic!

1. Blond English girl seeks courageous young reader who enjoys tea, cats and small doors. Must play croquet with flamingos and enjoy falling down rabbit holes. Our first date will consist of painting white roses red and avoiding being beheaded. My favorite food is cake marked EAT ME and I enjoy drinking tea. If you know “Why a raven is like a writing desk?” or dislike the songs of a mock turtle then we should get along quite well. My ideal reader only enjoys books with pictures and dialogue, “and what is the use of a book without pictures or conversations in it?” I absolutely hate uncivil mad hatters, melancholy frogs and easily offended mice. My hobbies are chasing white rabbits and playing with my cat, Dinah. I have been called many things, peculiar and outlandish being among them. Being 146 years old, you can find me in the classics section, along with Huckleberry Finn and The Secret Garden.–I.T.

2. Southern tomboy seeks understanding young reader, easily impressed by her newly found maturity and femininity. A passion for deep conversations over dinner is a plus. I’d like to travel with you to exotic places all around the world so I can find my own place. Our first date will start with a game of bridge and a long conversation, and end with condensed milk from the can we bought from the store we walked to in our fancy costumes and mexican hat. On my days off I like to walk around the town and try to convince the young children that I am from a foreign country. My favorite song is Please Don’t Leave Me by Pink because although I hope that I will run away with my brother and his wife, deep down inside, I have this fear that he will leave me here, and I won’t be a member of the world.–O.O.

3. Seeking an adventurous creative reader who enjoys riding on a raft during twilight. The perfect reader for me should know how and enjoy hunting alone, not being a picky eater, occasionally play hooky from school, and constantly be on the move. On our first date we will sit out in the moonlight around the campfire telling stories with Jim, a runaway slave who has become one of my dearest friends. If you are on a date with me you must not be a vegetarian because we will be eating whatever we hunt, which could consist of the occasional boar, dog and catfish. My favorite genre of music is classical and country that I overhear. Over the course of all the many seasons, summer is my favorite season because of the warm soothing weather, which allows me to do things like drifting on a raft as I soak up the warm sunlight. Usually on the days when I am just resting, I enjoy talking to Jim and telling stories about the journeys and adventures we’ve had in the past. When we travel on the raft we will discover the simpleness of nature and observe the beauty around us. If you want to meet me you will find in the literature aisle.–I.Z.

4. Tough, afraid, kind teenage boy searches the high seas for a reader who enjoys the sound of drunken arguing as well as the sound of the open water. Knowing how to sail is a must. Will not take someone greedy. Must love a hearty meal of a biscuit and long sleepless nights. Must be able to be mutinous and not have it gnaw at a guilty conscience. My ideal reader must love or not mind fighting and running a lot because we’ll be abandoning friends, enemies, and other crew members for our own gain, and for someone you care about, yet also despise, but who wants to protect you. Must love long adventures for wealth and newfound friendships.–J.G.

5. I am a young boy, but my best friend is a 70-year old African American man, and a small cat. My ideal date must love an unexpected trip to a tropic island in the middle of the ocean. Having knowledge of survival and fishing in a reef is always a plus. Our first date will start on a raft then move to building a hut for shelter, and finish with walking along the beach watching the sunset. Usually, on my days off I like to build extra catchments and taking walks to get more familiar with out little Cay. My favorite food is fish, but on occasion I enjoy climbing trees to get coconuts. My favorite hobbies include building hammocks or mattresses and finding ways to improve our lives on the island. I would love to visit the main land with you because I’m really tired of being stuck on this little Devil’s Mouth.–E.P.

6. English gentleman looking for a reader who loves going on nightly excursions through a haunted moor. My ideal reader must enjoy going on thrilling adventures, where you don’t only have to run, hide, and shoot, but you have to be sly and have an intelligent mind. On our first date, she must be prepared to get killed by the horror that lurks in the darkness. If you want to stay alive, bring a pistol and a mind that is alert and ready to find the truth behind what is really happening on the moor. A knowledge of solving mystery cases is a plus. Being able to observe and have a close and careful eye to everything around you is an asset. My favorite hobbies are playing the violin, smoking in the parlor until the room becomes foggy from puffing my pipe all afternoon, and, of course, solving mystery crimes. My favorite meal is a pot of coffee and possibly some biscuits; otherwise I don’t waste my time for food. I am not a very romantic person, my only relationships would be the cases I have solved, so if you bore me, I will move onto another case. If it would please you to come to tea, dress properly, in a skirt and blouse, as any sensible English lady would do. My address is Section D, The New York Public Library.–L.V.

7. Strong hardworking male looking for a partner. Just recently became single due to an accident involving an unfit relationship and a Luger.  For the second amendment haters out there, a Luger is a German pistol.  Yeah…   Anyways, I like fluffy animals like rabbits, puppies, and mice.  Unfortunately, I usually end up killing them.  By accident of course.  I entertain theoreticals and I am persistent and repetitive. I work in the fields and I am used to taking care of others, taking responsibility for false accusations, and taking charge. I love sad endings and being on the run. Our relationship will begin with true love and passion, it will contain tears, labor, and hardships, and end with utter tragedy.  You can find me raking leaves, on the Kindle store.–M.W.

8. Enthralling middle aged looking gentleman, seeking a reader who enjoys long nights and sleeping during the day. I enjoy such hobbies as hypnosis and shape shifting.  Must not have a fear of blood.  I am not fond of eating, but you should be it is good for your body. On our first date, I will captivate you with my dashing looks and hypnotic eyes. You must not be religious. If  you feel that you are the right reader for me, find me in my castle library. I’ll be waiting. –J.H.

9. Drug addicted teen seeks a reader who loves living on the edge, smoking pot, and beating those clean-cut preppy boys who think that they’re better than us in a game of basket-ball. A knowledge on dark alleys to shoot heroin in is a plus. On our first date we will take the subway to central park and sit on the rocks where we will drink and mug old people who walk by. My favorite food is French fries because they’re dirt cheep, and they fill you up. My favorite season is fall because its not too warm, or too cold if I end up sleeping on a park bench. Usually, on my free days I like to hang out with friends and take the subway to various parts of the city. I’d like to travel to Boston because I hear the dope down there is cheap, and powerful. If you think I’m the book for you, look for me in the memoir/auto-biography section of the library. –A.B.

10. I am looking for love because I would like to forget my devotion for my sister’s husband. My ideal reader would have a passion for writing as well as not mind the occasional strange or eccentric happening. My favorite season is Spring, when the world is not dreary and drained of color. Usually, when I have time to spare and the weather is warm, I like to sit outside and write, with the pale tulips and the gray moat ruffling in the breeze, staring up at the pale yellow bowl of sky above. I do not appreciate facial hair on a man, since it may remind me of my sister’s husband. My family lives in a crumbling castle, and struggles with finances because my father refuses to write another novel. If you desire, I can welcome you into a life of passion, excitement, scandal, and raw truth. If you think you might be interested, you can find me sitting on your local library and bookstore shelf. –E.J.

11. Nomadic man seeks someone who can run long distance, enjoys fires and doesn’t mind teaching a little about books and being in the wild.  Medical knowledge will help since I have recently been injected with a needle and it is very painful, also knowledge about reading, books and starting colonies would be great.  On our first date we will run from the hound for 1 hour straight, than we will stop and build a big bon fire, and read poetry to each other late at night.  My favorite food is charred steak and seared tuna; I like all my food on the cooked side due to growing up near many fires.  My favorite song is “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash, I love listening to it because it reminds me of beautiful fires when I was a fire fighter back in the day.    We will most likely be itinerant since the hound is after me, so the chances of us having many romantic days are quite unlikely.  Usually on my days off I like to kick back relax and read a good classic.  On our travel we will be looking for places that have been hit by the war, and we will try to find one that will be great to make a colony out of.  If you think you are the reader for me I’d love to meet you sometime and share some stories.–L.B.

12. If you are going to read me, you must like baseball.  My favorite team is the New York Yankees and my favorite player is Joe DiMaggio- just for your reference.  I watch baseball games with my very good friend, the young man next door, but I’d really like to watch some with you.  I am very lonely after all!  Baseball is not truly my passion though.  You should know that I have been a fisherman all of my life.  I enjoy waking up early in the morning and setting out to fish in the waters just off of my home in Cuba.  For our first date, I will pick you up in my small wooden fishing boat and we will sail back to my ocean-view beach shack.  Did I mention that a marlin I hooked will be pulling us?  It will be a lovely evening of sea legs, sushi and sharks.  My reader will be adventurous; they will not be afraid to battle off sharks or get a little salt water on their legs.  They will always have patience (I have not been so lucky with catching fish this season).  My ideal reader will be over 75.  My past love interests have included The Dairy of Anne Frank and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.–E.R. 

13. Quiet young lady seeks new reader who enjoys long walks along the woods and exploring old, gothic mansions.  Our first date will most possibly include escaping from an orphanage that is infested with typhus.  I do hope you are neat and clean because I, an avid user of hand sanitizer, do not get along with germs.  It wouldn’t be ideal if you are afraid of mysterious attics, cackling laughter and dark, creaky corridors.  As our relationship progresses, I would love to investigate some secrets well hidden inside Thornfield Hall, my current place of dwelling.  I already know that we will go through some rough patches like heartbreak, jealousy and near starvation, but I promise it’ll all be okay.  If you love suspense, secrecy, mystery and thrill, this is the perfect adventure for you.–P.M.

 

(1. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll 2. The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers 3.The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 4. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson 5. The Cay by Theodore Taylor 6.The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 7. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck 8. Dracula by Bram Stoker 9. The Basketball Diaries by Jim Carroll 10. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith 11. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 12. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway 13. Jane Austen by Charlotte Bronte)

 

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It Takes Time: 8th Grade Social Justice Projects

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(Image courtesy of Cornell University Library)
I was pretty excited today because instead of our usual forty five minute class period, we had a luxurious TWO HOURS to work with the students on their social justice projects. I had been charged with helping the Research group learn to utilize our middle school set of five new iPads. My mission was simple: show the students how to access the cloud on the iPad through Pages and Numbers, multitask between applications, and cut and paste websites and citations from the web into the Research folder on their cloud. Easy, right? I had visions of this taking about ten to fifteen minutes, and then spending the rest of the time exploring different databases and finding articles for their topics. Some of you who have been teaching or tending library for awhile are already chuckling right now. And I should have known better, I’ve certainly been around the block when it comes to effectively dispatching technology in the classroom. But we had TWO HOURS! Surely that was more than enough time to show them a few simple functions. And it should have been. But here’s what happened.

First, some of the researchers had to meet with their whole group to plan calls and visits to professional organizations they had contacted this week, so they didn’t join us right away and had to be caught up. Then, no one could remember their password. And I do mean no one–so I looked them up and gave them out to everyone. Then, the airport in the library that had been working beautifully all week suddenly conked out and couldn’t be revived. So we went back to the crowded classroom, a less than ideal space for a training. Once seated and ready to go, some of the log-ins wouldn’t work and had to be tweaked, then some of their group cloud folders were empty, because our tech teacher CJ had to build a new server last week for this project and not all of the information had been transferred over. CJ gently reminded me that I knew how to do this (which I did, but I forgot) so I spent some time copying the Numbers spreadsheet we had created to track citations into a few of the group’s clouds. Some students could sign in, but then got an error message, which CJ had to fix. Finally, I made sure I watched each students sign in, move between applications, and successfully cut and paste a URL into their Research folder. The touch screens are sensitive, and this was a far more frustrating action that you might expect. It took more than a few tries before students really mastered it. And we had ten Researchers and only five iPads. By the time all the students had been walked through the process, I looked at the clock and saw that there were only fifteen minutes left before lunch. WHAT?! What happened to my luxurious block of research time?

I realized I had come to this class with a lot of assumptions that I really shouldn’t be making at this stage of my career–that the Internet connection would work, that the students would intuitively get the process (because they’re all tech wizards, right?), and that the iPads would deploy seamlessly. When CJ and I chatted afterward and I remarked incredulously that it had taken the entire period to show a few simple functions, he responded calmly well, what did I expect? This was the first time we had collected information in this way, the first time many of the students had even used an iPad. It’s going to take time to do these projects right and show the students everything we want them to learn. And probably a good half of what we do this year we’ll end up revising, refining or just plain chucking next year, which is not only okay but preferable. We always want to keep the assignment relevant and fresh. What I need to always keep in mind is that the process is not only a big part of the project, but in many ways the most important part. Sometimes I forget that in the midst of all my Big Plans. Good thing I have awesome eighth graders to remind me. Oh, and those Researchers used that last fifteen minutes to show their teams how to multi-task and cut and paste on the iPad. Mission accomplished!

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